Rants, Raves & Really?!?

RANT: At this rate, we are unfortunately going to need a calculator to keep up with all the shootings. Funerals were held for two victims who died from gunshots the previous week; another man was shot in the leg over an argument about a lawnmower; and another man was killed just a few houses from the earlier shooting that left the two men dead and the suspect wounded. We are turning into Chicagoland.

RAVE: Despite the seven shootings in seven days, community leaders, ministers and law enforcement are working together to try to get to the root of the problem. Prayer vigils, community meetings and other events have been held or will be in the future. This is the time for the affected communities to develop strategies to stop this senseless killing.

RAVE: A Sharpsburg man is credited with saving the life of a man and his daughter after they were involved in a car crash. The impact resulted in their Porsche being engulfed in flames. Another driver, Mike Burgess, saw the crash and raced over, pulling the Porsche’s severely injured driver away from harm. The daughter in the passenger seat was unresponsive, buckled in and the smoke blocked all visibility. He was finally able to free her after several attempts. “His actions saved these peoples’ lives,” said Coweta County Fire Department Deputy Chief Todd Moore. Indeed. Thank you, Mr. Burgess

RANT: Gas prices are on their way up again. Locally, they’ve gone up 14.6 cents per gallon in the last month. Expect even more in the next few days.

REALLY?!? Meet Zevulon Green, 41, who drove into the corner of New Beginning Faith Ministry Church. The accident resulted in him receiving a large laceration and he was airlifted to an Atlanta hospital. Why, yes, the Georgia State Patrol charged him with driving under the influence.

RAVE: Thanks to their hard work, the Friends of Oak Hill Cemetery have received approval from the Internal Revenue Service for a 501(C)3 non-profit status. That means any donations can now be deducted from income taxes. Over the years, many local families and friends have given money to help pay for the upkeep of family plots.

REALLY?!? The Georgia Department of Community Health will hold an appeals hearing on the Newnan Behavioral Hospital Certificate of Need application. The state, in its infinite wisdom, determined we don’t need another behavioral hospital here. And that’s despite everyone, with the exception of a competing hospital in another county, saying we do. And those proponents include all local elected officials and bodies, the local hospital and everyone in law enforcement. What do we know?

RAVE: The Salvation Army is now providing food and clothing twice a week with no appointment necessary. Residents can drop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The center is located at 670 Jefferson St.

RANT: There are some people who just need to be taken out back and have a little common sense beaten into them. Such is the case with Pierre Rafael Greenwood, 25, and Tyree Terrell Phillips, 20. The two decided to try to outrun Coweta County Sheriff’s deputies after a routine traffic spot. Speeds hit more than 100 mph on Interstate 85. Deputies could have ended the chase sooner, but wisely chose not to because two small children were in the back seat. Deputies finally boxed the vehicle in and no one was injured. Take your own life in your hands. Leave kids out of it.